Flights arrive in Japan at all hours of the day, but no matter when you touch down, you still have to drag your heavy luggage around until you reach your hotel. So what do you do when you have a whole day ahead of you? Sometimes hotels don’t accept luggage before check-in, and sometimes your hotel is just too far away, which means you could end up hauling your suitcase up and down stairs, through busy train stations, even to all the destinations you’ve planned for your first day. Just thinking about it is exhausting.

So you try using Japan’s ubiquitous coin lockers—but it turns out, those fill up all the time. Usually, there’s no way to know if there will be a free locker in a convenient location, and experienced travelers will know that sometimes you might walk around an entire train station only to find every locker is full. Oh, and do you even have the right coins on hand to pay?

These moments can feel like inevitable inconveniences during a trip to Japan, but Multi Ecube’s locker services are designed to solve the issues, and let you travel light!

What Is Multi Ecube? Japan’s Locker Search & Reservation Service

Multi Ecube is a locker service created by JR East Smart Logistics, which not only offers conveniently located lockers for your luggage, but also lets you check availability, reserve lockers in advance, or even arrange luggage delivery, all through their website. It’s a boon for travelers weighed down by heavy suitcases.

Multi Ecube has finally brought Japan’s lockers into the modern world, and one of the biggest advantages is that you can check locker availability in real time on their website, completely eliminating the need to wander around and waste time looking for an empty locker. Both the website and the locker interface are available in English and other languages, so that travelers from all over the world can take advantage of the conveniences. They’ve even streamlined the payment process, making it totally cashless. Travelers can just pay using a credit card!

You can search locker availability in real time, but the service also offers advance reservations! Select the date, location, and locker size you’re looking for, and you can reserve your locker up to one month in advance. That means you can nail down the details of your trip and secure your locker before you even leave home.

The lockers come in different sizes for luggage large and small, so you can look for exactly what you need online, and skip the hassle of roaming the train station in search of a rare open locker. Multi Ecube lockers are currently installed at a number of Tokyo’s larger stations, including: Tokyo Station, Ikebukuro Station, Shinagawa Station, Ueno Station, Shinjuku Station, and Shibuya Station. Outside of Tokyo, you’ll also find the services available in other major cities, like at Shin-Osaka Station, Kyoto Station, Hakata Station, and Sapporo Station.

The lockers can even be found in the Tokyo Monorail stations at Haneda Airport, in Terminals 1, 2, and 3, making it especially convenient for travelers using Multi Ecube’s luggage delivery services.

How to Reserve a Locker in Japan

Locker reservations are still pretty new and novel in Japan, so the Japankuru team decided to give Multi Ecube a try by reserving a locker at Tokyo Station. Here’s how we did it!

Step 1: Register Online
First, create a JRE ID account to use as your login, and set up your payment method of choice.

Step 2: Make Your Reservation
Enter the date you’ll be using the locker and the appropriate size, before finding a locker location convenient for your travel plans, and completing the reservation. You can search for lockers by station name.

Step 3: Check Your Reservation Confirmation
On the morning of your reservation date, you’ll receive your reservation number and QR code via email. You can also find the details on the reservation site.

Step 4: Store Your Luggage
Go to the lockers you reserved (if you need help, you’ll find a Google Maps link on the website) and locate the one labeled with the locker ID in your reservation info, generally “M-__”.

Select the “Click here if you have made a reservation online” button, and either scan the QR code in your reservation, or enter your reservation number.

The locker will open automatically!

Step 5: Store Your Belongings and Go!
After you’ve placed all of your things inside the locker, you close the door, and press the lever to lock up. When the locker locks, the green indicator light turns off, so you know it’s all secure!

This locker reservation system was totally new to us, but the process turned out to be about as simple as you could hope for. We also wondered how this would work for foreign travelers who don’t know any Japanese, but everything was available in five languages, including English, and the interface made it easy to follow each step!

Easy Drop-Off Luggage Delivery Too!

What makes Multi Ecube especially interesting, though, is that it’s not just lockers. You can simply store your luggage, or you can take advantage of their delivery services! Have them bring your suitcase straight to the hotel, or deliver it to any specified address. For travelers, hotel delivery is especially likely to come in handy.

The Locker-to-Hotel Same-Day Delivery Service

Multi Ecube can actually take your luggage straight from the locker to your hotel, so you can move across the city stress-free, or spend your time out having fun. All you have to do is deposit your suitcase before 11:00 am, and they’ll deliver it to your hotel (in the same city) by 6:00 pm on the same day! This eliminates the hassle of schlepping your suitcases to the hotel before check-in, or even having to return to the same station to retrieve your luggage from a locker. It’s perfect for days when you arrive on an early morning flight or when you’re moving between hotels.

Currently, same-day hotel delivery is available in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Hakata, Sendai, and Atami. Reservations can be made up to one month in advance, or as late as 9:30 AM on the day of delivery. If your itinerary is already planned out, we recommend making your reservation sooner rather than later, so you’re all set and ready to enjoy your trip!

Imagine arriving in Tokyo in the early hours of the morning, leaving your luggage in a locker, and then heading straight for a day of sightseeing and amazing food. When you’re finally ready to turn in, having your suitcase waiting for you at the hotel is the dream, isn’t it?

How to Use the Locker-to-Hotel Delivery Service

First, make sure your hotel is eligible for delivery. Then, you can get started on your reservation.

Step 1: Book the Delivery Service
Enter the required information: locker location/size, delivery date, hotel name and address, and guest details—your information.

Step 2: Check Your Reservation Confirmation
On the morning of your reservation date, you’ll receive your reservation number and QR code via email. Again, you can also find the details on the reservation site.

Step 3: Deposit Your Luggage by 11:00
The process is just like when you’re using the locker for storage. Just make sure your luggage is in the locker by 11:00 am, and it’ll be waiting for you to pick up at the hotel’s front desk that evening!

Notes for Locker-to-Hotel Delivery

• Luggage must be deposited before 11:00 am. After that time, same-day delivery will no longer be possible.
• When making your reservation, the “guest name” submitted must match the name on your hotel reservation exactly, so please make sure the name is written accurately, including using the same writing system (alphabet, katakana, kanji, etc).
• Only one item can be delivered per locker, so if you have multiple pieces of luggage, you will need to reserve additional lockers. (Please make sure your luggage is securely closed, or it cannot be sent for delivery.)

Other Delivery Services

Multi Ecube also offers the option to ship luggage to destinations across Japan, and the process is still as simple as leaving your suitcase in a train station locker. If you’re planning a trip that includes multiple destinations around Japan, this is a particularly convenient way to move your luggage around. Reservations can be made up to one week in advance or until 8:00 pm on the day of deposit.

How to Use the Nationwide Delivery Services

Step 1: Make your reservation by choosing a locker location, and entering your delivery address.
Step 2: Pack a box or a suitcase.
Step 3: Deposit your things in the locker before 8:00 PM.

Hidden Locker Spots at Tokyo Station

Being able to reserve a locker in advance makes travel planning easy, but we know that sometimes it’s hard to plan so far ahead, and you might hesitate to pay ahead of time when your plans are up in the air.

So we picked out a couple uncrowded locker spots in Tokyo Station for just such an occasion—lots of lockers means lots of availability!

©JR East Consultants Company

One quiet spot is near the Sobu Line subway ticket gates on the B4 floor, where there are 37 lockers. Because this area is located in an underground area with less foot traffic, it tends to be easier to find open lockers.

©JR East Consultants Company

On the B1 floor, you’ll find another good spot outside the ticket gates, near the station’s Kurobe Yokocho dining area. It’s easy to find by exiting the Yaesu North ticket gates and going down the stairs to the left. You’ll find a long row of lockers along the wall where you can choose the size you need.

Multi Ecube FAQ

Q: Can I use the lockers without a reservation?
A: Yes, if any of the lockers are available, you can pay at the nearby screen and store your belongings just like a normal locker.

Q: Can I open the locker to rearrange items after closing it?
A: In principle, you can only open the locker once to deposit your items. However, if you decide you want to rearrange your things within 15 minutes, you can reopen the locker using the “Reopening” button. Once 15 minutes have lapsed since you first opened the locker, you will only be able to open it again when you come to retrieve your belongings.

Q: What if the locker turns out to be too small?
A: If you need a larger locker and one is currently available, you have a 15-minute window during which you can switch using the “Increase size” button.

Q: How much does a locker cost per day?
A: Prices vary depending on locker size and service used.
・Standard Luggage Storage: SS 300 yen | S 500 yen | M 600 yen | L 800 yen | additional 500 yen reservation fee if booked in advance
・Hotel Same-day Delivery: starting at 1,500 yen
・Other Deliveries: starting at 1,300 yen

Q: What payment methods do the lockers accept?
A: Cash is not accepted. For payment at the lockers, credit cards and various QR code mobile payment options are accepted. For advance reservations, you can use most credit, debit, or prepaid cards (VISA, MasterCard, JCB, Diners Club, American Express, Discover).

Q: Can I cancel my reservation?
A: Yes. You can cancel free of charge until 2:00 am on the day of use. If the reservation is for multiple days, the deadline for cancellation is based on the reservation’s starting date. Same-day reservations cannot be canceled because they are confirmed immediately.

Q: Can luggage be delivered to my hotel before my check-in date?
A: No, this service is designed to deliver luggage on the day of check-in only, so things cannot be sent ahead of your stay. Locker storage is also only available from the morning of your stay until 11:00 am.

➡︎ If you want to leave your luggage in a locker for multiple days before sending it to your destination, you can use the “Send to specified address” delivery option instead!

Putting together a truly excellent trip to Japan involves all kinds of travel prep—sometimes that’s planning sightseeing routes and making restaurant reservations, and sometimes that’s figuring out how to manage your luggage! Multi Ecube lockers are a great solution for travelers who want to explore without worrying about dragging around all their belongings. If you want to travel light and enjoy Japan without a heavy suitcase, Multi Ecube might be the secret to the perfect first day of your trip!

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